By Xinhua,
Washington : US President George W. Bush Tuesday urged the Congress to lift legislative restrictions on offshore oil drilling to help address rising fuel costs.
“It’s been a difficult time for many American families,” Bush told a White House news conference. “I think the system is basically sound, really.”
Bush Monday lifted an executive ban on offshore oil drilling.
There are two prohibitions on offshore drilling, one imposed by Congress and the other by an executive order signed by former president George H.W. Bush in 1990.
During his press conference, Bush also said withdrawing all US combat troops from Iraq was the goal, but he rejected setting any timetable.
Responding to a question, Bush said whoever would succeed him next January, would have to listen to the “commanders, diplomats and Iraqis” before making any new decisions on Iraq.
Iraq has become a central topic in the US presidential campaign this week.
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is delivering a speech on Iraq, saying the war is a distraction of US anti-terrorism efforts and called for shifting focus to Afghanistan.